MULTAN/SIALKOT: Prime Minis­ter Nawaz Sharif distributed cheques in Lodhran and Sialkot under his package for farmers on Friday and announced development packages for the two districts.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) immediately described the PM’s visits and distribution of cheques and his announcement of projects for the two districts as pre-poll rigging.

The by-election in Lodhran’s NA-154 constituency as well as the third phase of local government elections in Sialkot will be held next month.

The PM’s development package will mainly focus on small farmers with landholdings of 12.5 acres or less.

Addressing farmers in Lodhran, Mr Sharif said reducing the cost of agricultural inputs was his top priority. Keeping in view the hardship of the farming community, he added, the government had announced ‘the historic’ relief package of Rs341 billion.

PTI terms move pre-poll rigging, asks ECP to take notice

Without naming PTI leaders, he said the people who were claiming to be representatives of the poor had caused delays in implementation of the Kisaan package. He said the government had also introduced an affordable and cost-effective solar tubewell scheme for farmers.

The prime minister announced projects of Rs2.5bn for Lodhran and said he had been asked to announce a package of Rs2bn, but he increased the amount because the people of the district had expressed their love for the PML-N by voting for the party in general elections.

“Prices of cotton, rice and other agricultural products declined in the international market, but the government announced the package to support small farmers despite limited resources,” he said, adding that farmers of the district would get financial support of Rs87 million.

He also announced the establishment of an agriculture university and commerce and degree colleges, two flyovers in the district and rebuilding of Lodhran-Khanewal highway.

Package for Sialkot farmers

From Lodhran, the prime minister then flew to Sialkot where he announced a Rs1.18bn relief plan for farmers of the district. The plan has three segments – direct financial assistance, reducing cost of agricultural inputs and providing farm loans under a simplified procedure. Small rice and cotton growers will get a cash support of Rs5,000 per acre.

Mr Sharif invited his political opponents to come and see the emergence of ‘a new Pakistan’. He announced the early start of 90km Sialkot-Lahore Motorway and vowed to establish strong communication links between Pakistan and Afghanistan by building Islamabad-Torkham-Jalalabad-Kabul highways.

During a visit to the city’s international airport, the prime minister addressed a meeting of exporters and the management and directors of the airport. He was accompanied by Minister for Defence and Water and Power Khawaja Asif and Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid.

PTI reaction

Meanwhile, the PTI wrote a letter to the ECP asking it to take notice of the prime minister’s visit and announcement of development packages. It said the visit was a violation of ECP’s code of conduct.

The PTI also expressed surprise over ECP’s delay in announcing the schedule for the Lodhran by-poll days after the Supreme Court verdict calling for a re-poll in the constituency.

On Friday, the ECP announced the election schedule for NA-154 by-poll.

Nomination papers may be filed on Nov 9 and 20. The scrutiny will take place on Nov 26 and 27. Nov 30 has been set as the last date for filing appeals against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers and Dec 4 is the last date for deciding them.

Dec 7 will be the last date for withdrawal of candidature and the final list of candidates will be published the following day.

Polling will take place on Dec 23.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2015

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